Thursday, May 20, 2010

Google claims Froyo has the world's fastest mobile browser

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2010/05/20/google-claims-froyo-has-the-worlds-fastest-mobile-browser/

You heard it here first, folks. Google has just come out with the strident claim that the web browser in Android 2.2, aka Froyo, is the world's fastest for mobile devices. Having implemented the V8 JavaScript Engine that's already made an appearance in its desktop Chrome browser, Google's reporting JavaScript performance that's somewhere in the vicinity of two to three times better than what you can get from previous Android versions. We'll give this geek cabal some style points for the double equals sign up top, but will certainly be putting its bold assertion to the test in the very near future.

Google claims Froyo has the world's fastest mobile browser originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 20 May 2010 11:56:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Android 2.2 'Froyo' beta hands-on: Flash 10.1, WiFi hotspots, and some killer benchmark scores

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2010/05/20/android-2-2-froyo-beta-hands-on-flash-10-1-wifi-hotspots-an/

Much to our surprise at the time, when Adobe sent us a Flash 10.1-enabled Nexus One for testing, the phone came preloaded with a preview build of Android 2.2 -- a.k.a. "Froyo" -- the apparent turning point for curbing Android fragmentation due for a very public unveiling today at Google I/O. We've had a day or two to dig into it, and while we're surely missing some improvements here or there (Google was unable to provide us a changelog as of this writing), we've spent pretty much all our waking moments combing through every virtual nook and cranny. So what can Eclair alumni expect from the revised platform? Read on for more!

Continue reading Android 2.2 'Froyo' beta hands-on: Flash 10.1, WiFi hotspots, and some killer benchmark scores

Android 2.2 'Froyo' beta hands-on: Flash 10.1, WiFi hotspots, and some killer benchmark scores originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 20 May 2010 12:00:00 EDT. ! Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Flash 10.1 for Android beta unveiled: Hulu a no-show, Froyo now a minimum requirement

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2010/05/20/flash-10-1-for-android-beta-unveiled-hulu-a-no-show-froyo-now/

What was once just one echelon above a myth is now finally coming to fruition. Adobe is pushing out a beta of its Flash 10.1 player alongside Google's own beta for Android 2.2 "Froyo." The general release for Flash is still on track for June, according to Anup Murarka of the Mobile and Devices team. The announcement doesn't come without caveats, however, and the bad news is that Froyo is now a minimum requirement -- according to Murarka, the APIs needed for its software only now exist in 2.2. Also not on the docket? Hulu -- it's being blocked due to content licensing issues, and our inquiries with that company turned up nil. Flash 10.1 will be available as a Marketplace download, but Adobe intends to work with as many OEMs as possible to preload it on devices so it's there at purchase. Speaking of OEMs, Murarka teased that we should expect announcements later this month and the next regarding Flash integration in TVs. Be sure to head on after the break as we talk a little more in-depth with Murarka about 10.1.

As for all there is to see, hear, and do with Froyo, Google's big keynote is going on now -- stay tuned, and in the meantime, why not check out our hands-on impressions of Android 2.2! Oh, and did we mention Adobe CTO Kevin Lynch is gonna be on this week's Engadget Show?

Continue reading Flash 10.1 for Android beta unveiled: Hulu a no-show, Froyo now a minimum requirement

Flash 10.1 for Android beta unveiled: Hulu a no-show, Froyo now a minimum requirement originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 20 May 2010 12:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Google TV turns on at I/O: runs Android and Flash, partnered with Sony, Logitech, and Intel

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2010/05/20/google-tv-turns-on-at-i-o/

As expected, Google just announced Google TV at I/O. There's four billion TV viewers worldwide, making it the biggest market in the world, and Google's after it in a big way -- it's a $70 billion ad market in the US alone, after all. According to Google, "video should be consumed on the biggest, best, and brightest screen in your house, and that's the TV." The idea is to merge the web and TV without compromising on either the web experience or the video experience, with a focus on discovery and personalization. Of course, since it's Google, the interface is search-driven, so you can just type in things like "30 Rock" or MSNBC" to find channels and content -- including upcoming content to record and content from the internet. Yeah, it's kind of like the TiVo Premiere's swivel search, but prettier -- and there's a Hulu logo on the screen, which is extremely intriguing.

Google's not sharing hardware specs, but we're told Google TV devices will have WiFi, HDMI, the Intel CE4100 processor, and... some will have an IR blaster to tune your cable or satellite box, which is just sad. (Like, 1997 sad.) The input devices will all have keyboards, and you'll also be able to use Android devices as a remote, including using voice search to find content and sending content from the phone to the TV. The software is based on Android with Chrome as the browser and full Flash 10.1 support. Since it's Android, there's a version of Android Market -- any app that doesn't require phone hardware can run on Google TV. There will also be a Google TV-specific Android SDK launching in "early" 2011, along with the Android Market for Google TV.

As for partners, it's just as we heard: Sony will launch Sony Internet TVs and Blu-ray players with Google TV in the fall, and Logitech will introduce a set-top box with a Harmony remote and an HD camera for video chat at some point in the future. Dish Network will also launch a Google TV box at some point, while Best Buy will promote the platform as a whole in-store.

Make sure to keep up with the latest from I/O in our liveblog!

Continue reading Google TV turns on at I/O: runs Android and Flash, partnered with Sony, Logitech, and Intel

Google TV turns on at I/O: runs Android and Flash, partnered with Sony, Logitech, and Intel originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 20 May 2010 12:23:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  sourceGoogle PR, Google blog  | Email this | Comments

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Sony Internet TV, DISH first with Google TV this fall; Adobe, Logitech and others along for the ride

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2010/05/20/sony-internet-tv-platform-is-first-with-google-tv-dish-adobe-and/

Sony will be first out of the gate with a Google TV powered device, with its "Sony Internet TV" devices -- in the form of either an HDTV or a set-top box with Blu-ray player -- arriving on shelves this fall. The rest of the partners were just as the rumors indicated, with Logitech adding a QWERTY Harmony remote, "companion box" to bridge the gap to existing home theater equipment and eventually video chat capabilities, Intel providing the CE4100 Atom processor at the heart of the devices and an Android 2.1 OS with Chrome browser brings it all together. DISH Network and Google have admitted to their ongoing trials but there's no word on any release date,(Update: We didn't catch it onstage, but DISH just announced it will enable "advanced integration" via HDMI on all of its HD DVR receivers this fall, details after the break) while Best Buy is already on board to sell all of this and inevitably offer to hook up those IR blasters for a fee, while Adobe is just happy to see another device that runs Flash 10.1. The rest of the details are in press release and video form after the break, but you can sign up for updates at Google.com/tv (developers check in here) or check out our ongoing liveblog right from Google I/O.

Update: Vic Gundotra just confirmed in a post-keynote press conference that TV will go international next year.

Continue reading Sony Internet TV, DISH first with Google TV this fall; Adobe, Logitech and others along for the ride

Sony Internet TV, DISH first with Google TV this fall; Adobe, Logitech and others along for the ride originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 20 May 2010 13:21:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  sourceDISH, Google.com/tv, Sony Android Developers  | Email this | Comments

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